Vincent O'Sullivan (U.S. poet)
Vincent James O'Sullivan (November 28, 1868 - July 18, 1940) was an American-born English poet, short story writer, and critic. Life Born in New York City to Eugene and Christine O'Sullivan, O'Sullivan began his education in the New York public school system. After his schooling at St Mary's College, Oscott, Vincent went up to Exeter College, Oxford, in 1892, but left after only a single term. Twentieth Century Authors: A biographical dictionary of modern literature, H.W. Wilson, 1973, 1059. He lived comfortably in London, travelling often to France, until in 1909 he lost his income from the family coffee business when his brother Percy made a spectacularly mistimed futures gamble at the New York Coffee Exchange. The entire family was ruined, and Vincent was destitute for the remaining years of his life.Robert Scoble, The Ruin of the O'Sullivans, Callum James Books, 2008. He was a friend of Oscar Wilde (to whom in his disgrace he was often generous), Leonard Smithers, Aubrey Beardsley and other fin-de-siècle figures. Robert Aickman wrote of his final days: "O'Sullivan, having lived a longish life as a more or less well-to-do rentier, in latish middle age found himself ruined, wrote his last book (Opinions) under terrible conditions, and, dying in Paris, ended anonymously in the common pit for the cadavers of paupers.Robert Aickman, Introduction to The Fourth Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories, 1967, 9. Writing O'Sullivan's works dealt with the morbid and decadent. Aickman wrote of O'Sullivan's that "story story 'When I Was Dead' is a very rictus or spasm of guilt; sudden and shattering. Vincent O'Sullivan was a master of this dyeing and soaking in guilt. The curious should try to find a copy of his novel, The Good Girl. The quest is difficult, but the product distinctive." Publications Poetry *''Poems''. London: Elkin Mathews, 1896. *''The Houses of Sin'' (illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley). London: Leonard Smithers, 1897. *''The Green Window'' (prose poems). London: Leonard Smithers, 1899. *''The Houses of Sin; with 'Poems'.'' New York: Garland Publishing, 1977; Oxford, UK, & New York: Woodstock Books, 1995. Novels *''The Good Girl''. London: Constable, 1912; Boston: Small, Maynard, 1917. *''Sentiment'' (novella). Boston: Small, Maynard, 1917. Short fiction *''A Book of Bargains'' (1896) *''A Dissertation Upon Second Fiddles''. London: Grant Richards, 1902. *''Human Affairs. London: David Nutt, 1907. *Sentiment, and other stories. London: Duckworth, 1913. *''Master of Fallen Years: Complete supernatural tales of Vincent O'Sullivan (edited by Jessica Amanda Salmonson). Edinburgh: Tragara Press, 1990; London: Ghost Story Press, 1995. Non-fiction *"The American Critic" in Burton Rascoe, H.L. Mencken. New York: Knopf, 1920. *''Aspects of Wilde''. London: Constable, 1936; New York: Holt, 1936. *''Opinions'' (introduction by Alan Anderson). London: Unicorn Press, 1959. Translated *Louis Bertrand, Saint Augustin. London: Constable, 1914; New York: Appleton, 1914. * J. Perdriel-Vassieres, Rupert Brooke's Death and Burial: Based on the log of the French hospital ship Duguay-Trouin. New Haven, CT: W. Bradley / Yale University Press, 1917; London: Imperial War Museum, 1992. Letters *''Some letters of Vincent O'Sullivan to A.J.A. Symons'' (edited by Alan Anderson). Edinburgh: privately printed at the Tragara Press, 1975. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au: Vincent O'Sullivan, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Feb. 16, 2014. See also *List of U.S. poets References External links ;Books * *Vincent O'Sullivan at the Online Books Page ;About *Vincent O'Sullivan in the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction *Vincent O'Sullivan at Writers No One Reads. *"Vincent O'Sullivan: Unstrung second fiddle" at the Victorian Web *"Vincent O'Sullivan", in Anthony Powell, Under Review: further writings on writers, 1946-1990 (University of Chicago Press, 1994) at Google Books. Category:20th-century American novelists Category:Writers from New York City Category:1872 births Category:1940 deaths St. Mary's College, Oscott Category:19th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:English poets